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Musicians, music ensembles and music
education entities all over the Empire
State will again benefit
from opportunities for low interest loans for instrument purchase(s) as New
York State Council on the Arts’ Musical Instrument Revolving Loan Fund
welcomes new applications in September 2012. The Musical Instrument
Revolving Loan Fund, MIRLF, offers this valuable opportunity to
professional musicians, music students and music lovers throughout New York
State to help bring artists, the public and music students the opportunity to
have rich and meaningful experiences with musical performance and study.

Now in its 30th year,
this program was launched in 1983. The program has provided hundreds of loans
to music organizations, thus stimulating the field’s professional growth and
productivity and increasing the capacity of musicians and ensembles throughout New
York State.
The fund is expanding its applicant pool this year and invites music and
arts education organizations to apply with the goal of expanding the reach and
impact of the program.

The loan program is competitive and
allows access to a low interest loan program to support the purchase of musical
instruments by eligible non-profit symphonies, ensembles and music
organizations. The purpose of the funds is "to stimulate the professional
growth of musicians and symphony orchestras which provide a vital educational
and cultural service to the citizens of the state.”

Financed directly by the New York
State Legislature and Governor Cuomo, the loan fund is administered by the
Council on the Arts. Annually, this unique opportunity is made available for
the purchase of instruments by eligible nonprofit organizations at an annual
finance charge of 3%, repayable over a loan period of up to eight years. The
on-line application form and guidelines will be available on Friday,
August 3, 2012 and the deadline for FY13 requests will be 4pm,
September 5, 2012. Applicants will be notified of approved applications
in December 2012. To see the MIRLF guidelines and application visit http://www.nysca.org/public/guidelines/music/instrument.htm
or visit the home page of www.nysca.org

Recent purchases have
included:

a bass
flute for Patricia Spencer, founding member of Da Capo Chamber Players.
Before the purchase, the ensemble borrowed this instrument when it was
needed

a
special "folding” harpsichord, made in Italy, that has enabled its owner,
Gwen Toth, to travel more easily to performance venues with ARTEK, an
early music ensemble

a
better-quality Italian violin for Liana Koteva, Rochester Philharmonic.
Ms. Koteva’s previous violin did not have the sound qualities that her
work required;

an
acoustic double bass for jazz bassist Larry Ridley. Made of carbon fiber,
this instrument can easily withstand changes in climatic conditions for
this instrumentalist, who tours extensively.

For more information about the Musical
Instrument Revolving Loan Fund contact Rita Putnam at 212-741-7143 (rputnam@nysca.org) or Robert
Baron, at 212-741-7755 (rbaron@nysca.org).